I was turned off by cartomizers early on due to some negative posts on another forum. I tried them a few months ago and now they are my weapon of choice. I don't think I will buy another regular ATTY again.
Then, I found this video on VapeTV which shows how to extend the live of a cartomizer by turning it into an atomizer when the fiber filling starts to give off a bad taste.
http://www.vapetv.com/Doctor_Vapor/?video=56
scroll down to see
"Tips & Tricks - Episode 5 - Spent Cartomizers"